Hat support package



HAT SUPPORT PACKAGE Filed Dec. 15, 1960 INVENTOR BETTY LOU RASKIN a port and hat package of the invention.

3,254,757 HAT SUPPORT PACKAGE Betty L. Raskin, 6221 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, Md. Filed Dec. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 76,017 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-8) This invention relates to a novel hat support and a novel hat package embodying the same.

An object of the invention is the provision of a durable, lightweight hat support useful in the display, carrying and storage of hats.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a package for the transportation and storage of hats em. bodying the new hat support.

These and other objects are attained by the hat sup- The new hat support comprises a structure molded, cast or otherwise formed from foam plastic and consisting of a base member having a fiat lower surface, a head member adapted to carry a hat and a neck member joining the base member and the head member. The base, head and neck members may be separately formed and interconnected by detachable interlocking means such as peg and socket joints or by adhesive means whereby, for example, the overall height of the hat support may be varied by the insertion of neck members of different lengths. The neck members may be straight or angular, and a plurality of neck and head members may be attached to a single base member. However, in a preferred form of the invention, the base, neck and head members are molded or cast or otherwise formedtogether in a unitary structure.

The term foam plastic as used herein is intended to denote any of the thermoplastic, thermosetting or elastomeric foam or sponge compositions. Representative compositions known in the art today include thermoplastic polymers, urea-formaldehyde, phenolic, isocyanate, epoxy and silicone resins, natural and synthetic rubber foams, and regenerated cellulosic foams, any of which materials may be used in the construction of the hat supports of the invention. By way of specific example, polystyrene :Eoarn molded from commercially available expandible (foam-forming) polystyrene beads has been found to be very suitable.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a layer or coating of a peelable adhesive is provided on the bottom surface of the base of the hat support or on a portion of the bottom surface. This provides greater stability in display or transportation and facilitates the use of the hat support portion of the hat package of the invention for display and storage purposes.

The peelable adhesive layer may be provided by a plastic, fibrous or fabric web coated on both sides with any of the known pressure sensitive peelable adhesive compositions, or the side attached to the base of the hat support may be coated with a relatively'non-peelable adhesive so that the web member adheres to the hat support when the latter is removed from a shelf, a wall, a hat box or the like. The hat support may, however, be more permanently attached to a shelf, a wall or the bottom of a hat box or the like by means of a non-peelable adhesive, such as glue, solvent-containing adhesives, or adhesives of the epoxy or cyanoacrylate types.

The relative sizes and shapes of the base, head and neck members of the hat support may be varied over a wide range. In general, of course, the head portion should approximate in general size and shape the upper portion of the human cranium, but may be spherical,

, United States Patent.

Patented June 7, 1966 ovoidal or ellipsoidal in shape. For stability, it is preferable that the base portion should extend laterally somehat support of the invention.

. means comprising a layer of peelable adhesive secured In the hat support of FIG. 1, 10 is the base member,

support all molded integrally of polystyrene foam composition.

. In the package of FIG. 2, 20 is the body and 21 is the lid of a conventional hat box. 22 is a hat support of the general form shown in FIG. 1, and 23 is a layer of peelable adhesive, removably attaching the hat support to the bottom of the hat box. A ladyshat 24 is shown in phantom view to illustrate the general arrangement and use of the hat package. The hat box may be of lightweight paperboard construction or it may be of heavier luggage-type construction.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 3, 10', 11, and 12 are the base, neck and head members of the hat support, and 14 is an internal cavity molded or otherwise formed in the hat support to further decrease the weight and the material cost of the hat support without substantially effecting its strength. 15 indicates an annular layer of peelable plastic.

As an illustration of the versatility of use of the hat support and package of the invention, a hat may be delivered to a purchaser in the package assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing and the purchaser may either leave the hat in the hat box package for storage or may remove the hat support from the box and reattach it to a closet shelf to hold the hat in a safe, non-crushing manner when not in use.

I claim:

1 A generally non-deformable, light-weight, unitary hat support comprising a base member having a flat composition, a container, means releasably securing saidhat support in said container, said releasable securing to the lower flat surface of the base member.

2. A hat package comprising a box having a bottom, sides and removable lid, a hat support comprising a generally non-deformable, light-weight, unitary structure .of foam plastic composition including a base member having a flat lower surface, a head member adapted to carry a hat and a neck member joining the base member and the head member, said head member being generally ovoidal in shape and sized to approximate the size of the upper portion of the human cranium, said flat lower surface having an extended surface area to provide a stable support for said head member and said neck member, and a layer of peelable adhesive attaching the fiat lower surface of the base member to the inner surface of the bottom of the box.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/ 1933 7 Denmark.

OTHER REFERENCES 5 Source Book of the New Plastics, Published by Reinhold Publishing Company, 1959, edited by Herbert Wiener.

n 2 R. Srmonds (page 206 relied on).

Andrews 206-8 Kranzfelder 206 8 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

Johnston 206-8 10 Chidsey 229 52 X EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

F Y X G. R. CARLSON, J. J. HOEY, M. L. RICE, Smlthers 20646 Assistant Examiners.

Strumpf et al. 223-120 

1. A GENERALLY NON-DEFORMABLE, LIGHT-WEIGHT, UNITARY HAT SUPPORT COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER HAVING A FLAT LOWER SURFACE, A HEAD MEMBER ADAPTED TO CARRY A HAT AND A NECK MEMBER JOINING THE BASE MEMBER AND THE HEAD MEMBER, SAID HEAD MEMBER BEING GENERALLY OVOIDAL IN SHAPE AND SIZED TO APPROXIMATE THE SIZE OF THE UPPER PORTION OF THE HUMAN CRANIUM, SAID FLAT LOWER SURFACE HAVING AN EXTENDED SURFACE AREA TO PROVIDE A STABLE SUPPORT FOR SAID HEAD MEMBER AND SAID NECK MEMBER, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FOAM PLASTIC COMPOSITION, A CONTAINER, MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID HAT SUPPORT IN SAID CONTAINER, SAID RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A LAYER OF PEELABLE ADHESIVE SECURED TO THE LOWER FLAT SURFACE OF THE BASE MEMBER. 